Who was the first bowler to claim five wickets in a one-dayer in South
Africa?
(15 October 2001)
The date is among the most decisive in world history. It was on
December 7, 1941, that Japanese warplanes launched what in hindsight
was a kamikaze bombing of the US naval base at Pearl Harbour. That
single act contributed indirectly to the annihilation of Hitler and
his fascist allies.
Exactly fifty-one years later, a South African cricketer, who was also to show
a kamikaze streak, marked out his name in cricketing history for the
first time. The 23-year-old Hansie Cronje was playing in the first
one-dayer on South African soil in Newlands, Cape Town, when he
accomplished the above-mentioned feat.
India, after winning the toss, had got off to a steady start and were
92 for no loss in the 28th over when Cronje first struck. Indian opener Raman who was bowled became the first batsman to fall to a bowler in an
official one-dayer in South Africa. Bowling his brand of gentle
medium-pace, Cronje also went on to snare Ajay Jadeja, Sanjay
Manjrekar, Pravin Amre and Kapil Dev, bowling his side to victory.
Cronje was though the second South African to claim five wickets in a
one-dayer. Allan Donald, who claimed five for 29 in South Africa's
first ever one-dayer, was appropriately the first, considering that he
was to become South Africa's most successful bowler ever.
A Born Again Christian from Free State, Cronje, as we all know,
went on to become one of cricket's finest captains and ambassadors,
before that fateful cell-phone call to Sanjeev Chawla...
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